# Two New Mario Grandi Pipes



## morefifemusicanyone (Aug 23, 2008)

Just ordered my first Mario Grandi Pipes. I seemed to read some decent things about them and the price is right. If nothing else, they look real good. 

Just bought these two (click for ebay auction)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=230309452118

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=370117889100

Anyone else have experiences with pipes by this maker they would like to share?


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## Slow Triathlete (Jun 14, 2007)

Love the stem on that first one!


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## Professor Mike (Jun 25, 2008)

Beautiful pieces of funtional art,probably out of my price range.

Mike


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## morefifemusicanyone (Aug 23, 2008)

Professor Mike said:


> Beautiful pieces of funtional art,probably out of my price range.
> 
> Mike


The top one was 46 bucks, the bottom one was 50, S&H is 15 bucks no matter how many you buy. With ebays coupon and a ****** promo, I got them for a hundred bucks total.

If they smoke even halfway decent, I will be pleased. p


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## Professor Mike (Jun 25, 2008)

morefifemusicanyone said:


> The top one was 46 bucks, the bottom one was 50, S&H is 15 bucks no matter how many you buy. With ebays coupon and a ****** promo, I got them for a hundred bucks total.
> 
> If they smoke even halfway decent, I will be pleased. p


What a bargin. I need to check ebay more often. Thanks.

Mike


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## morefifemusicanyone (Aug 23, 2008)

Professor Mike said:


> What a bargin. I need to check ebay more often. Thanks.
> 
> Mike


Search Mario Grandi, there are tons of them on there.


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## Professor Mike (Jun 25, 2008)

morefifemusicanyone said:


> Search Mario Grandi, there are tons of them on there.


 I found them. Thanks. I'll have to give myself a couple for Christmas.

Mike


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## Smarvy (Nov 4, 2008)

I've seen tons of these on eBay, and I've often wondered how they smoke, and how well they are made. When they come in, I'd be stoked if you posted your thoughts on them, along with tons of pictures, of course

The prices are real good, I just hope the quality is good too. They do have some beautiful pipes. That cobra is very nice, and shiny. I like shiny. You're right too, if they smoke half-way decent, they were worth it.

Aloha,
Justin


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## morefifemusicanyone (Aug 23, 2008)

Smarvy said:


> I've seen tons of these on eBay, and I've often wondered how they smoke, and how well they are made. When they come in, I'd be stoked if you posted your thoughts on them, along with tons of pictures, of course
> 
> The prices are real good, I just hope the quality is good too. They do have some beautiful pipes. That cobra is very nice, and shiny. I like shiny. You're right too, if they smoke half-way decent, they were worth it.
> 
> ...


I am, when I have time, a picture and review whore. 

I will definitely post my thoughts and impressions when I receive them. These pipes seem to be lacking a decent review anywhere I could find.


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## timrenzi573 (Dec 4, 2006)

For anyone that is wondering, the Mario Grandi's smoke wonderfully. I have purchased a bunch, and I'm very pleased with all of them. You will find a few sandpits in them (far preferable to fills. the sandpits are tiny, and will hide better as the pipe darkens with use. fills are the exact opposite) but the engineering is spot on. Absolutely cannot find a better deal in a handmade pipe anywhere, and I dare anyone to try.


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

timrenzi573 said:


> For anyone that is wondering, the Mario Grandi's smoke wonderfully. I have purchased a bunch, and I'm very pleased with all of them. You will find a few sandpits in them (far preferable to fills. the sandpits are tiny, and will hide better as the pipe darkens with use. fills are the exact opposite) but the engineering is spot on. Absolutely cannot find a better deal in a handmade pipe anywhere, and I dare anyone to try.


Cool! I'm bidding on one at Ebay. Two days in and I'm currently the high bidder. Thanks to these posts, I'll probably lose now!


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## morefifemusicanyone (Aug 23, 2008)

dmkerr said:


> Cool! I'm bidding on one at Ebay. Two days in and I'm currently the high bidder. Thanks to these posts, I'll probably lose now!


You could just buy it now. Most of the pipes the difference between bidding and buy it now is about five bucks.  Pipes have shipped, I can't wait!


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

morefifemusicanyone said:


> You could just buy it now. Most of the pipes the difference between bidding and buy it now is about five bucks.  Pipes have shipped, I can't wait!


Good idea, but no buy it now price for the one I'm bidding on.

Let us know how you like yours!


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## Gig (Sep 6, 2008)

One thing about Mario Grandi pipes is that they are always interesting and will be a conversation starter at a pipe meeting


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## aliefj96 (Nov 8, 2007)

I don't have any personal experience with the pipes. I do think they are beautiful to look at, and hope to acquire a few in the short future.


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## morefifemusicanyone (Aug 23, 2008)

Received mine today. They are beautiful!

A couple of things...

The color is less "rich" in person than in the pictures. Still pretty though and I think it will deepen a bit with use.

The hole in one is off center a bit. I will take pictures later.

Both have a little tighter draw than I like, but not too bad.

I smoked these both today though, and they smoke beautifully. Draw is not an issue at all with a little baccy in there.


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## Big D KC (Oct 21, 2008)

First of all I hope I am not butting in to your thread here, I sometimes feel like I shouldn't always start a new thread. So I thought I would add on to yours!

I wanted to post up about 3 Mario Grandi pipes I just recieved today! At the time this thread was started I was browsing them already narrowing my choices down. I had been watching them and following them for the last month. Your post and the other favorable reply pushed me over the edge!

These are to be christmas presents so I won't be able to give a review of how they smoke until after the 25th, but I had to show them off! I have a ton of pictures and tried to narrow it down to a few for each pipe.

I bought a total of 3 pipes. One of the higher end ones for the main event, it came with free 2 day shipping. So I figured I might as well buy a couple lower end ones to add in and save the shipping on, so I bought a combo set of two others.

I want to mention that the overall experience and communication was top notch with this outfit! I purchased these from "futurepipes" & "futurepipes1" (the same outfit one is the american version, the other is the Italian version, look for both on ebay!! They each have different pipes!). They went out of there way for me and I am very impressed! I'll give more detail in just a bit.

It's amazing I can order something from Rome Italy and have it in my hands 2 days after it ships, yet at the same time I can order something from California and it take 5 days or better to get here!!

The following two pipes were the combo, I purchased them with a buy it now price of $62.00. They were shipped free with the other one, so all in all figuring $31 a piece! For these two pipes, that was a smoking deal!!

First up is a small bent pipe. Overall length is 4 3/4", height is 1 3/4", overall bowl width is 1 5/8", tobacco chamber width is just shy of 3/4" (2cm), depth is 1 1/2". It passes a pipe cleaner fairly easy with just small twist. The airway is drilled straight and pretty much spot on as far as I can tell. (my pic is a bit off center).


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## Big D KC (Oct 21, 2008)

Next up is a straight billiard almost a pot shape. This is the one they went above and beyond for me! Via email contact with them, I asked them what they would charge me to cut a new short stem for this one. I wanted a nosewarmer stem, and would pay to have this done. They emailed me back asking me what length I wanted it, and they told me not to worry about it there would be no charge! So I told them the length I wanted. They did it and sent the original stem along with it! Very good peoples!

Anway, overall bowl width is 1 3/8", tobacco chamber width is just over the 2mm, almost 7/8". Chamber depth is 1 1/4". Overall Length with original stem is 5", overall length with the nosewarmer stem is 4 1/8"!

This is the rougher pipe of the three. There are some visable flaws in the briar. The metal ring is not perfect all the way around the airway to the bowl is nice and straight but under the chamber a hair, not sure how that will make it smoke. It's like it should have been bored down another 1/8". It does pass the pipe cleaner with ease. All in all I love it too, and for $31 it was a steal with the custom stem!

With the original stem:



























And with the custom nosewarmer stem:



















And here are the two together:


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## Big D KC (Oct 21, 2008)

And now finally the main course! When I saw this one, and saw the grain, the shape, and the length of this pipe I had to have it! I am very glad I made the plunge! This one cost me $115 with the buy it now option. ($5 more then the auction price). It also came with the free 2nd day shipping. I absolutely love it!!

This one come in a fancier box that is has a flip open top rather then end opening like the other two. The inside is fitted to the pipe with a faux suede lining. Very nice presentation. All of the pipes come with a pipe sock and a small bundle of red, white, and green pipe cleaners (wrapped with a small brown thank you note tied with green ribbon!).

Overall length on this one is 5", overall bowl width is 1 3/4". Tobacco chamber is 3/4" wide by 1 5/8" deep. It does sit nice and solid on its own as well! The airway is drilled nice and center and at the perfect depth in the bowl, it passes a pipe cleaner but does take a couple twists to find the sweet spot though.

I think its beautifull! A bent volcano straight grain with exposed platuex on the bottom.




























The small "chip" you see at the top of the rim below isn't a chip. It's just a small spot where the carbon pre-coating didn't get to.


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## Big D KC (Oct 21, 2008)

In closing my only real criticism of these pipes is it looks like they need to change out their tobacco chamber bits. Two of them have a rough spot right in the very center where the pilot part of the bit grabbed and knarled the last 1/16". The third would have it also but it has the chamber that could have been drilled just a hair deeper, so the pilot hit the airway instead of the heal of the pipe. Also the inside of the slit's in the mouthpieces could use a tiny bit more smoothing and polishing work.

As I said before the two combo pipes are obviously of a lower grade due to the briar imperfections (and price), but I give them credit for not just filling them. I for one would rather have the tiny imperfections then fills. Only the billiard had any visable imperfections in the briar itself, and had the issues with the metal ring not being perfectly aligned. The bent seems to be pretty cleanly made.

All in all I give them a big thumbs up! Very good quality pipes, perticularly the higher end one (mid-grade technically in the pipe world?). I am very happy with all three of them, and will be buying more of them in the future without worries! I wish I could give a smoking report on them but alas, they have to go under this pipers tree! I will be glad to update you guys after the holiday on how they puff!

Last I leave you with a couple of staged shots!


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## BigKev77 (Feb 16, 2008)

Big D KC, very nice posts and I really loved the pics.


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## Smarvy (Nov 4, 2008)

Yeah Big D, thank you for posting these photos and your comments. I suppose I'll need to start seriously looking at these Mario Grandi pipes, each one of those looks very nice, and I think the grain fits each pipe perfectly. I really like the stain and finish on your nosewarmer. It was very cool of them to fit that pot with the shorter stem for you at no charge, and include the original stem as well! Like you said: good peoples. 

I'm glad you and Morefifemus... posted your thoughts on these pipes. It's nice to hear honest opinions.

Aloha,
Justin


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## bpcr (May 13, 2006)

Fine looking pipes ....:tu


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## Big D KC (Oct 21, 2008)

Glad you guys enjoyed the pics! I spent two hours last night going through, picking photo's, and editing them up! I took tons lol! 

I can't wait to see how they smoke! Rumor has it, I might get to test out the two cheaper ones! The volcano though is already under the tree! 

p


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## morefifemusicanyone (Aug 23, 2008)

Big D KC said:


>


That is one super looking pipe! Thanks for posting. I think it is nice to have others chime in so people interested in this pipe maker can get some good info. I have been too busy with school to post pics of mine, but they are smoking great!


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## andrew (Nov 16, 2008)

If it werent the holidays I'd order some right now. Those things look great.


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